Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-08-03
The Queens Jubilee Naval Review.

PORTSMOUTH, July Portsmouth and
South Sea were thronged for five days in
anticipation of the jubilee naval review,
which took place yesterday afternoon at
Spithead. Innumerable visitors, including
many Americans arrived yesterday morn
ing. Minister Phelps travelled in special
saloon coach. He was accompanied by his
wife and Mrs. Loomis,. In the same coach
with the American minister were Mr..
Robert M. McLane, United States Minister
to France; Mr.. Jabez L. M. Curry, United
States minister to Spain; Mr.. Henry White,
second secretary of the American legation
at London, and his wife; Lieut.. Chadwick,
naval attache of the American legation at
London, and Mrs. Chadwick; Lieut.. Buck
ingham, naval attache of the American
legation at Paris, and Mrs. Buckingham;
Hon. Thos. M. Waller, United States con-
sui general at London; Gen. Jos r. Hawley,
Senator Frye, and Mr.. A. j. Hopkins,
member of Congress from Aurora, Ill,
Augustus Jay, second secretary of the
American legation at Paris; Chester A.
Arthur, Mrs. Frank Leslie and Mr.. Logan
Roots were afloat aboard different crafts.
Mr.. W. K. Vanderbilt's yacht, the Alva,
was conspicuous in the marine procession
to Spithead, and was beautifully decorated
with flags. The scene at Portsmouth was
one of extreme animation, hundreds of
private craft of every description, all hand
somely decorated and well freighted with
gaily-dressed people; being anchored here.
The vessels participating in the pageant as
paraders numbered 1913 pennants, and in
cluded three squadrons of ironclads and
cruisers, aggregating "a vessels, rs torpedo
boats, gunboats and iron defense ships,
divided into flotillas, training briggs and
13 troop ships. Beside these 128 ships un-
der drill, there were the imperial and In
dian troop ships appointed to carry the
distinguished visitors, and the small vessels
and dockyard craft allotted to the corpora
ton of Portsmouth, all of whic b were well
laden and briskly used. The war ships
drawn up in four limos, facing mp channel,
the starboard column being opposite the
Isle of Wight, the port column being off
Portsmouth. The ships were stationed two
cables apart, the lines being three cables
between; the flotillas were ranged in double
columns between the port column of IRON
clad and the main land, and the troop
ships were placed in single column between
the starboard line and the Isle of Wight
This made four lines of vessels on one side
of the channel and three on the other, ex-
tending from South Sea Castle to the Rye
middle shoal, distance Of over two miles.
The private craft carrying sightseers must
have numbered several hundred. Probab-
ly no such fleet was ever seen before in
time OF peace. Every class of the British
navy was presented. The review of the
Crimean fleet by the Queen and the Prince
Consort thirty-ons years ago would suffer
by comparison with this. Some of tho
stout wooden ships which figured in that
review were visible in Portsmouth haibor
yesterday, decked bravely out for the oc-
casion. Nelson's old ship, the Victory,
was also conspicuous object. The Queen
8 o'clock and went aboard the royal yacht
Victoria, the attendant vessels passed
between the lines, leaving the coast defense
ships, gunboats and torpedo boats on the
port hand. After proceeding as far as the
Horse Elbow buoy the Victoria and Albert
turned to starboard, passed between the two
columns of large ships forming A, B and
@ squadrons, and then between the lines of
foreign ships of war. As her Majesty pass
ed through the lines of these endless war
ships, each yard being manned with
brawny tars, deafening cheer after cheer
was sent up from the lusty crews to greet
| their sovereign, but it was not until the
Queen had gone through the double lines
that the great cannon of the big ships be-
began to thunder forth the royal salute
| with a roar that caused the great ves-
sells to roll and the sea to increase its
heaving as shot after came booming over the
water. The Queen returned to Osborne
before 6 o'clock. Taken altogether, the
vessels which were drawn up in line when
the Queenspassed extended over four miles,
| and even this length was added to by the
great troop ship, laden with spectators,
also falling into line and saluting the
Queen as she made her progress. Between
and 10 O'Clock at night all the ships along
the lines were illuminated. On Monday
next all the vessels comprising the squa-
drons will put to sea to their several sta
tions, carrying instructions for making
sham attacks on various undefended por-
tions of the British coasts in order to test
the efficacy of the English land defensive
arranoampnts